On Friday 11 March 2005 17:51, Teresa Hackett wrote:
From edri list
See
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2005/mar05/03-10PatentRef orm.asp
Improve the patent system by making it easier for small companies to get patents by reducing fees for them.... Hm... Strikes me that being able to restrict others by patent monopoly more easily is rather poor compensation for being restricted oneself. How about those of us who have no desire to be restricted by patents nor to restrict others (except restricting their restricting us with patents, duh)?
So you've got a patent, because it's being made easier to get patents Big whoop. If you want to actually do anything worthwhile instead of being an Eolas, you still have the nigh-on insurmountable patent portfolios of the big players to deal with.
Of course, patent rights are transferrable, AFAIK (?) So you have another option. Get a patent for $CHEAP, because you're a small company and you can, but microsoft would be charged $LOTS. Now, you can sell to microsoft for $MIDDLING.
Just great. So long as you don't actually want to write software and are content to play pointless games with lawyers and bureaucrats until you go bankrupt instead.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm willing to "compromise": Let people hold patents, but let patents only restrict those who hold patents themselves. i.e. only those who seek to restrict others with patents shall be themselves restricted.